Tony Abbott's hopes of quickly scrapping the carbon tax under a more compliant Senate have again been put on hold with the repeal bills not brought before the upper house until Tuesday night for fear of another mishap.

That was despite amended legislation being passed in the House of Representatives on Monday.

Prime Minister Tony Abbott. Photo: Alex Ellinghausen

But the Senate has extended its hours to try to pass the Abbott government's repeal - whether that takes hours, days or a weekend or two.

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The government kept senators in the upper house late into the evening on Tuesday as it debated the carbon tax repeal, and could keep the chamber open much longer if it doesn't get its way.

Senators will need to remain in Canberra every single day until the carbon tax is repealed and other bills considered.

The repeal legislation was delayed by last-minute backroom talks between the government and key crossbench senators, but eventually got under way in the upper house.

With the patience of Coalition MPs wearing thin and just two scheduled days of sittings left before the long winter break, the drawn-out process is straining government morale. The package has been listed among an ambitious suite of bills the government now says it wants debated to completion by the close of the session on Thursday, or it will go into an unusual Friday sitting, and possibly beyond.

That has angered some crossbenchers who say they are being ''baffled with bullshit''.

Shadow treasurer Chris Bowen said Labor would ''stand up for what we believe in''.

''That'll mean a robust political debate and it'll sometimes mean a loss on the floor of the Senate,'' he told ABC radio on Wednesday.

Mr Bowen said he believed that the government would combine with Palmer United to repeal the carbon and mining taxes, but reiterated Labor's support for a market-based mechanism to deal with climate change.

''We believe that in relation to climate change that climate change is real . . . and you've got the only government in the world - the only government in the world - actually reversing an emissions trading scheme now that's been introduced.

''Sure, it's a sad day for Australia but what's important for us is we'll stick up for what we believe in.''

The carbon tax delay has also wreaked havoc on other priorities, such as consideration of tens of billions of dollars of budget savings bills - some now unable to be debated in this sitting. Legislation for a planned increase in federal fuel excise due to take effect from August is one bill not able to be debated in time to be enacted.

The ongoing uncertainty has shredded the government's budget and political strategy, turning its special two-week sitting of the Senate - called expressly to capitalise on the new cross-bench antipathy to the carbon and mining taxes - into a political own-goal.

After last week's surprise failure when the Palmer United Party withdrew its support and sided with Labor at the last minute, the government was moving ultra-cautiously on Tuesday despite professed backing of the PUP.

It was concerned that while all eight cross-bench senators say they are committed to consigning the carbon tax to history in a final vote, as many as three might baulk at the use of a guillotine to bring an end debate and force that vote.

In a further sign the government had lost exclusive control of the legislative timetable, the Climate Change Authority bill was removed from the list of those to be considered, supposedly at the insistence of the PUP.

Sources said the CCA bill, the purported vehicle for Mr Palmer's proposed ''dormant'' emissions trading scheme, will not be presented this week.

Fairfax understands there is also last-minute discussion over Mr Palmer's belated inclusion of India in the basket of countries to which the CCA would be required to look when recommending that Australia should activate its dormant ETS.

New senators are unhappy at being told to get across vast numbers of bills in a short time.

As one insider said, ''they want to keep the new kids in school as long as possible to ram through legislation''.

''I think a decision was taken at some time to smash the new guys, baffle them with bullshit and quantity - and it's backfiring.''

58 comments

So repeal of the 'carbon tax' didn't get past the Senate at another attempt ? SURPRISE ! SURPRISE ! I think I will vote for Clive Palmer's lot at the next election. Anyone who sticks it up Tony Abbott is OK by me, even if Australia becomes a much bigger hole in the ground and loses all manufacturing capability.

Commenter

adam

Location

yarrawonga

Date and time

July 16, 2014, 7:33AM

i am with you adam

Commenter

agree

Location

mentone

Date and time

July 16, 2014, 8:16AM

@adam:The carbon tax repeal is a giant beat-up that will have little or no impact on households and business. The roof will not fall in if it stays and the sun will not shine if it goes. Let the government rave on about a wrecking ball, a python squeeze, a Whyalla wipe out, a $100 lamb roast but let us all reflect in 12 months time on whether or not there are cheaper electricity bills, falling unemployment, an improved business climate. Truth is nothing will change and we as a nation will have ceased to be pro-active on climate change.

Commenter

JohnC

Location

Gosfprd NSW

Date and time

July 16, 2014, 8:31AM

I think Abbott and his bully boys thought that Palmer was an idiot and that they would roll him like Howard did to Hanson. I am not sure what drives Palmer, but I am sure that just because he likes to play the fool, does not mean he is one. I think we should be grateful that he is there to control some of the ideology that is driving all sides. I guess time will tell, but as a LNP voter Palmer is looking better all the time.

Commenter

Irene

Date and time

July 16, 2014, 8:35AM

not when Palmer has allowed Corrmann's FOFA regulation amendments and this is not good news if you are a retiree investor.

Commenter

Akari

Date and time

July 16, 2014, 9:01AM

Economists say the economy is not bad and the re is no budget crisis. So the LNP makes a phony hullabalu about the carbon tax and debt and then stays they fixed the problem and look how great things are. Oldest trick in the book Unfortunately they haven't done much at all..

Commenter

Ian

Location

Bris

Date and time

July 16, 2014, 9:12AM

Please don't, Adam. This guy is just as hard right as Abbott, Hockey and Co. In the end he'll go with the Coalition. He just likes pulling Abbott's chain.

Commenter

BJWard

Date and time

July 16, 2014, 9:39AM

Newspoll says 47% now want the carbon tax! Support is growing rapidly and PUP knows it, Clive's on a winner and that's why Australia's foremost economist Dr Hewson is on board. The lib/Nats are heretics on the wrong side of history.

Commenter

FrankM

Date and time

July 16, 2014, 10:01AM

Amazing isn't it? Our Prime Minister is so lacking in leadership skills that, after the 2010 election, as party leader, he was unable to entice two former Liberals in Windsor and Oakshott to form an alliance with him; two individuals whose natural inclination had been to the political right. Then, during the term of the last government, he lost another supporter in Peter Slipper, who became an independent. Now he is attempting to use bluff and bluster to bully a new set of independents. Again these independents come from the right of the political spectrum and again they are clearly turned off by Toxic Tony's approach to getting what he wants.

Clearly there is a message here for all Australians, or at least, for those who were unable to read the character of the man prior to the last election. This is no benign, Menzean Liberal we have leading us at the moment. Within weeks of his election he was already straining relations with our international neighbours, he has already been condemned by former leaders of his party in Malcolm Fraser and John Hewson and in a very short period of time since taking office, he has already lost the support of the Australian people. Not that it will matter to Tony Abbott as long as Rupert continues to pat him on the head and tell him he is a good boy.

But this is the most toxic leader this nation has ever elected and things are going to get a lot worse before we get an opportunity to kick him out. Unless, that is, he antagonises the independents so much that they force him to a double dissolution. We can only hope.

Commenter

Cee Bee

Location

COAL-ition Insanity

Date and time

July 16, 2014, 12:18PM

Before anyone starts gushing about how wonderful Clive is, just thunk about it - he makes his squillions from carbon and mining, and anyone who imagines for an instant that he is NOT going to side with Abbott is totally deluded. AND he'll do exactly the same with all the other bills that are great for the top end of town but appalling for the average punters. Just look a the watering down of the financial advice stuff. All he has done is make it worse. And in the meantime, he is coming to think of himself as god almighty. Very, very dangerous. Be very careful what you wish for.

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